Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ua19/16/2 Ahletics Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases regarding general activities of the WKU Athletics Department for spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Relations, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in spring 2025.

I Will Make No Defense, Sky Johnston

Women's and Gender Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

I Will Make No Defense is a combination of a short essay and a free-form poetry chapbook with a glossary of anattractional terms*. The essay discusses the erasure of complex queer identities within journalism, especially those that violate homonormativity. The poetry chapbook itself is written about the author's personal experiences regarding their identities as an aromantic, asexual, and transgender person, and was intended to help reduce this informational gap. It is prefaced by a glossary of necessary terms to aid its accessibility to the general population, and many of the poems address language that erases identities, how a-spec identities and …

Exploring The Role Of Ai And Educators In Shaping Student Creativity, Shyanne B. Mickelsen

Art 895 Research Papers

Art plays a vital role in personal expression and social innovation, yet as our students progress through the increasingly digital educational system, their creative confidence often diminishes due to external pressures such as peer comparison, time constraints, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). As students progressively engage with new technology that can generate creative outputs, it raises questions about the authenticity of their work and the role of human creativity in regards to originality. This study examines how the pressure to be original intersects with creativity and the impact of AI on students' artistic expression. The aim is to …

Effective Guidance Using Natural And Unnatural Framing, Bowen Dong

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of six types of framing—Natural, Unnatural, Implied, Implicit, Mixed, and Lighting / Color Contrast Framing—on guiding player navigation in video games. It further examines how additional design elements, such as chokepoints and breadcrumbing, interact with these different types of framing to enhance directional cues across both indoor and outdoor settings. Utilizing the Dying Light Editor: Chrome Engine, the researcher developed a custom single-player level in which these framing methods were implemented and evaluated. Through testing and analysis we can determine the best practices for utilizing the framing techniques.

Best Practices: Spatial Valence Theory To Encourage Exploration, Boheng Wang

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the combination of valence levels for various elements within a game environment and how these levels, when combined with the visibility of the elements, contribute to the concept of spatial valence. The study applies this theory to a level artifact, examining how spatial valence can guide player navigation within the level. This thesis provides future level designers with a more holistic view of guiding the player within the level by refining the valence theory.

Predicting Subversion Impact In A Narratively Driven Quest, Jon Jon D. Matarangas

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aimed to develop a methodology which can be used to quantify a narrative subversion’s memorability. The researcher formulated seven unique subversion categories: Action, Environment, Narrative, Betrayal, Genre, Stereotype and Pattern. The researcher created a single player video game level in Fallout 4. The researcher developed a quest incorporating seven subversions (two Action, two Environment, two Narrative, and one Betrayal). To evaluate each subversion, the researcher created a “subversion memorability” formula using four key variables (Impact, Severity, Time, and Number of Prior Subversions). The researcher then plotted the subversion memorability values on a line graph to examine whether …

Best Practices For Spatial Composition For A Pacing Curve In Combat Design, Alan Lemerande

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the best practices for adjusting the level of pacing experienced by players within video games using terminology defined by Mark Davies: threat, tension, tempo, and movement impetus. Using the Dying Light editor, the researcher created a single-player video game level in which pacing was developed following a curve. The goal of creating this level was to demonstrate the success and proper implementation of the best practices identified through research.

Volume 11 Issue 1 Complete Issue

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Conscience On Campus: Kohlberg, The Church, And The Moral Development Of College Students, Madeline Estep

Christian Ministries Student Projects (All)

This paper explores the role of Christian leaders in the moral development of college students using relevant literature and the framework created by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg. The paper discusses the importance of college years in faith and moral development, Lawrence Kohlberg and a Christian understanding of his work, as well as the implications of these findings for Christian educators and leaders of college student communities.

From Inherited Belief To Owned Faith: Mentoring Emerging Adults Through Fowler’S Faith Stages, Elijah Gutierrez

Christian Ministries Student Projects (All)

This paper explores how James Fowler’s theory of faith development and Richard Dunn’s model of mentoring through pacing can be used together to support the spiritual growth of emerging adults. Focusing on the transition from Stage 3 (Synthetic-Conventional Faith) to Stage 4 (Individuative-Reflective Faith), the paper highlights the challenges young adults face as they move from inherited to owned belief. Practical strategies are offered for ministry leaders and mentors who want to walk with emerging adults through this process of spiritual formation with empathy, patience, and intentional guidance.

Reconstructing Belief: Understanding The Mental Health And Faith Development Of Adolescents, Ella Bivens

Christian Ministries Student Projects (All)

This content argues that a proper understanding of James Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development can help ministry workers, specifically youth group volunteers, better minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of students within the Church who are doubting and deconstructing their faith.

Using Implied Spaces To Influence Combat Engagement, Sisi Li

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how implied spaces in level design influence combat engagement. The researcher hypothesized that players prefer areas with more implied space types over areas with less or no implied space types. More implied space types create more opportunities for varied tactical choices and dynamic combat. To test this hypothesis, the researcher created a custom arena level in Half-Life 2. The level is divided into four distinct zones, each designed with a different combination of implied space types. The researcher conducted playtest sessions to analyze playtesters’ perception of implied spaces and those spaces’ impact on combat encounters.

Using Object Density To Modulate Tension Responses, Yidi Edith Wang

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the connection between object density and player tension in video games. Expanding on Canny Yuan’s work, “Using Spatial Composition to Influence Player Tension”, the researcher introduced a quantitative approach to measuring room density and posits that increased navigable space can lower player tension. To test this hypothesis, the researcher developed a custom single-player level, “Veylmoor”, in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The level is composed of rooms with systematically varied spatial layouts and navigable areas, allowing for controlled analysis of spatial density. The researcher quantified room density using four methodologies implemented through custom C# scripts. The …

Sounds Of The World: Guiding And Motivating Players Through Sound Valences, Kirk Baltzell

Level Design Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to integrate sound design techniques and practices into the larger level and game design process to provide greater support and motivations for players. The researcher created a custom single-player level in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that tasks the player with navigating an enchanted castle, relying on sound valences to guide their path. The researcher gathered data on the implemented sound valences by observing testers’ playtests, the navigational choices the testers made throughout the level, and the connotations of the sound valences themselves.

The Ethics Of Gene Editing Hereditary Deafness, Jasmine Borie

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Gene editing has been a hot topic of interest in the field of science, and many gene editing solutions for heritable diseases are in the works. In most cases, gene editing is done with good intentions, but there are some instances where it would not be favorable for reasons that may not be inherently obvious to everyone. Several forms of deafness and hearing loss can be inherited, meaning that it can be passed down from parent to offspring. Curing hereditary deafness using gene editing may seem like a good idea, but it can lead to unintentional discrimination and further stigmatization …

Doing More Good For Less: Salvaging Development Aid, Trey Dykeman

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

In stark contrast to its peak in the Marshall Plan era, professional sentiment towards international development aid has become increasingly pessimistic as its shortcomings have become apparent. Inter alia, leading thinkers charge development aid with enabling and sustaining economic dependency, governmental corruption, political power imbalances, and paternalism. Even so, there may be diamondlike programs in the development aid rough. Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programs—a subset of development aid—have seen moderate success. In particular, as compared to other forms of aid, unconditional cash transfer programs (UCTs)—a specific type of CVA—appear economical and effective and avoid many of the above …

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU track teams in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU football team in spring 2025.

Changing Narratives Of Self-Improvement: Self-Help Literature Across Two Eras, Ayesha Aslam

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

This project explores how the narratives of personal growth in self-help literature have evolved between the 1970s and the 2010s. The goal was to identify which themes persisted across eras and how others shifted in response to broader cultural and technological changes. I hypothesized that 1970s texts would emphasize self-control and traditional success, while 2010s texts would highlight flexibility, mental well-being, and authenticity, with some shared focus on motivation and habit-building. To test this, I selected five bestselling books from each decade and applied Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling using a Colab-based notebook. The top 30 most salient terms …

Leveraging Ai Agents And Multi-Agent Debate To Automate Mlb Front Office Decisions And Roster Construction, Parker Gibbons

IPHS 484: Senior Seminar

This project leverages artificial intelligence Agents and Multi-Agent Debate (MAD) to evaluate Major League Baseball players and construct a twenty-six player MLB roster. The AI Agents evaluate each player based on statistics and grades them according to a five-tool scale, eventually resulting in a single numerical rating. MAD is then employed alongside optimization techniques to select thirteen hitters and thirteen pitchers, maximizing team performance according to agent consensus, while staying within a specified salary cap. The operating hypothesis is that AI agents can effectively evaluate Major League Baseball players based on performance statistics, even with large and complex datasets. By …

William T. Sherman And The Union's 'Hard War' Approach In 1864-1865, Lori L. Infanzon

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This research is a historiography of the extent to which Sherman's actions in 1864-1865 represented a significant shift to a 'hard war' approach utilized by the Union army. Upon review of contemporary accounts, scholarship from the World Wars period, and scholarship from the 1960s to the present, this paper concludes that the scope and scale of Sherman's actions in 1864-1865 represented a significant escalation in the usage of hard war tactics designed to secure Lincoln's election 1864, accelerate the ending of the war, and dramatically revolutionize Southern society.

Volume 10 Issue 8 (April 1912)

The Soul Winner

No abstract provided.

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU soccer team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU men's basketball team in spring 2025.

Affirming Academic Use Of First Languages In Second Language Learning Environments, Trinity Fellows

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Spring Expo Online Poster Presentation

• Arts & Humanities

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, Issue 5: Play (Spring 2025), Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine Contributors

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine (2023-present)

Issue 5 of the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, published in the Spring 2025 semester. The theme of the issue is 'Play'. A semesterly publication curated by Clark University students, CSVLM creates space for students to share their creative writing including poetry, prose, and artwork. Organizing and distributing Clark Student Literary Voices builds community by uniting the many creative students on the Clark campus.

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, Issue 5: Play (Spring 2025), Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine Contributors

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine (2023-present)

Issue 5 of the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, published in the Spring 2025 semester. The theme of the issue is 'Play'. A semesterly publication curated by Clark University students, CSVLM creates space for students to share their creative writing including poetry, prose, and artwork. Organizing and distributing Clark Student Literary Voices builds community by uniting the many creative students on the Clark campus.

Exploring Student Perceptions Of Faculty Messages: The Moderating Role Of Internationalized Status And Gender, Geoffrey Luurs, Ismail Karabas, Brittany Wood

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Email is a tool used often for developing rapport between students and teachers. A professor’s email mistakes may affect the attributions students make about the professor’s competence and professionalism. This study used an experimental, between-subjects design to analyze the impact of professors’ typographical mistakes during initial email interactions and the moderating role of instructor demographics in those perceptions. The final sample consisted of 426 participants (64.6% female, 75.8% Caucasian) across eight universities representing five regions of the United States. The results of this study showed instructor’s email mistakes do lead to negative perceptions. Furthermore, it showed a professor’s internationalized status …

Nokomis, Madeline Avila, Jack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney, Elida Roskamp, Ashley Shorba, Lucy Severson, Emily Sowers, David Estrada, Osvin Baltazar Gonzalez, Ashley Campbell, Grace Emiliusen, Zoey Cavanaugh, Elysia Beynon, Caitlin Larsen, Drake Onyx, Ava Diekmann, Alivia Tima, Emily Hill, Kiera Norman, Sunehra Subah, Jaydon Wilson, Lydia Domaille, Linda Moua, Mandie Schmidt, Sarah Huderle, Elizabeth Schneider, Bonnie Ni, Natalie Leet, Koda Mueller, Jackie Velishek, Helena Dowler, Allen Wedekind, Lauryn Schleusner, Kiera Norman, Dorothy Moore, Zoeh Cavanaugh, David Estrada

Irotas

Nokomis is the 2025 annual online student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Nokomi (2025) and Irotas (2024) are sibling journals to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. The inaugural issue of Irotas was published in 2024 and Nokomis in 2025.

Design and Technical Editors: Madeline AvilaJack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney

Fiction Editors: Jack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney, Elida Roskamp

Art Editors: Lucy Severson, Emily Sowers

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Liberty Kohn, Professor of English